Sports goods retailer Decathlon has launched a product hire service in a selection of its UK stores.
From kayaks and surfboards to tents and tennis rackets, Decathlon is now offering summer-themed product hire in its Surrey Quays, Braehead, Poole, and Southampton stores.
Each of the shops has its own rental-specific web page, where consumers can view rental availability and make a booking.
Decathlon says the benefits of rental, aside from the perceived environmental benefits of allowing multiple people to use the same item over a longer period of time, include permitting people to try out a variety of sports without having to invest in all of the equipment upfront.
“You can try before you buy if you are wanting to invest,” it explains on its website, adding there are “no storage or maintenance costs – we take care of that for you”.
One of Decathlon’s values is to get people active and it has included an “innovation range” as part of its rental offering, allowing consumers to hire items such as the Tamahoo inflatable windsurfer and 5S inflatable sailing dinghy which can’t be found anywhere else.
Earlier this year, Decathlon launched a ski-wear product hire service in association with rental platform Hirestreet.
These items are available to rent via the Hirestreet website, but the latest advance into the world of rental products is being offered via Decathlon’s own website and the quartet of participating shops.
In February during the launch of the ski-wear offering, rental manager at Decathlon, Sharon Poulter, said allowing customers to rent ski-wear was an “obvious starting point” for this model, but there was always an expectation within the company that additional items would be made available for product hire.
Other retailers launching rental ranges this year include Jigsaw, Mulberry, and Tommy Hilfiger, as a growing number of companies look to offer consumers more circular ways of acquiring and using products.
[Image credit: Green Retail World]
